Daily GK Update - 4th and 3rd June 2015

Maggi banned in Uttarakhand

(i) Uttarakhand has joined other states by banning instant snack brand Maggi, after tests on the product showed presence of Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a synthetic taste enhancer.

(ii) An order was issued on Thursday towards banning the sale of the product for 90 days, an official at the Food Safety Department R S Rawat said.

(iii) “We had sent 54 samples for a test to Food Testing Laboratory in Rudrapur [in Udham Singh Nagar district]. 

(iv) One sample from Pauri showed presence of MSG after which it was decided that Maggi should be banned for sale across the State,” he said.

U.S. passes NSA surveillance reform

(i) It was a historic moment for civil liberty advocates as much as it was for libertarians of the American right when the U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed on a vote of 67-32, and President Barack Obama signed into law, the first reform in a decade limiting the sweeping powers of the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance on millions of citizens’ telephone conversations.

(ii) The USAFA represents the first major reform to the NSA’s mass surveillance of global communications that has been effected since whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the full extent of the spying programmes to the world in 2013, even though many called for further reform pointing out that spying on foreigners was untouched by this bill.

India, Belarus agree on road map for stronger ties

(i) India and Belarus on Wednesday decided to work together on defence and security issues as President Pranab Mukherjee met his Belarusian counterpart and agreed on a 17-point road map aimed at strengthening mutual trust and confidence.

(ii) The President, who arrived here on Tuesday night on a two-day visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the majestic Palace of Independence by Belarusian President A.G. Lukashenko.

(iii) The road map will enhance high-level and Ministerial contact, optimise the structure of trade, increase trade turnover, create favourable conditions for enhanced direct investment and promote practical cooperation between financial institutions.

‘Improving connectivity between India and Bangladesh for progress’

(i) Improving connectivity between India and Bangladesh can add to the dynamism of economic and social progress in both the countries as well as their eastern and south-astern neighbours, according to a report released by multidisciplinary think tank Observer Research Foundation here on Tuesday.

(ii) Released just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh on June 5, the report — ‘India-Bangladesh connectivity: Possibilities and challenges’ — recommends steps that both the countries can take in four aspects of connectivity — rail and road, waterways, energy sector connectivity and border management. The year-long project is part of a broader three-series project which seeks to examine India’s links with Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.

Snapdeal collaborates with gojavas to launch ‘90 mins reverse pick-up’

(i) Snapdeal, an online marketplace and gojavas, a supply-chain company, today announced the launch of an industry first service for customers - ‘90 minutes reverse pick-ups’.

(ii) With this, Snapdeal customers wishing to return/replace their online orders will be reached within 90 minutes of intimation. The facility, which is currently live in 15 cities, will enable hassle-free returns as well as refunds.

(iii) Elaborating on the new service ‘go-90’, Mohib Rub, Head, Last Mile Operations, gojavas, said, “This strategic partnership with Snapdeal has acted as a huge catalyst in fast-tracking go-to market for innovations gojavas was pursuing on its own earlier. 

(iv) Both the teams are looking to expand this service to all the 300 cities within our network in the next 3-5 months.”

Trucks carrying food grains meant for 'Anna Bhagya' seized

(i) A group of youths prevented the smuggling of food grains, meant for ‘Anna Bhagya’ and handing over the lorry to police in Nadivi village under Sirigeri Police station limits on Thursday.

(ii) The lorry, loaded with total 189 bags - 165 bags of wheat weighing 45 kg each and 24 bags of rice weighing 50 kg each – was heading towards Gangavati in Koppal district.

(iii) On getting the information, Sirigeri police, led by Lokesh, Circle Inspector and PSI Hassan, rushed to the spot and seized the lorry. 

(iv) Driver of the lorry escaped while the cleaner, Basavaraj, was taken into custody.

2004 Nobel Chemistry winner Irwin Rose dies

(i) Irwin Rose, a biochemist who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins the basis for developing new therapies for diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis has died. He was 88.

(ii) Rose died in his sleep early on Tuesday in Deerfield, Massachusetts, said spokeswoman Janet Wilson of the University of California, Irvine, where Rose had been a researcher.

(iii) Rose had a “formidable intellect and unwavering curiosity about fundamental biological and chemical processes that are the foundation for life,” UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a university statement.

India jumps six places in FIFA rankings

(i) India has jumped six places to 141st position in the latest rankings released by world football’s governing body FIFA on Thursday.

(ii) India was previously placed 147th in the rankings list. Iran (41) is the top-ranked Asian team in the list, followed by Japan (52) and South Korea (58).

(iii) World Champions Germany continued to head the rankings. Belgium jumped to second place, a place above World Cup runners-up Argentina.

(iv) Five-time world champions Brazil are fifth, a spot below Colombia. Brazil is followed by the Netherlands, Portugal (seventh), Uruguay (eighth), and France (ninth).

Glitz, glamour to mingle with business at IIFA 2015

(i) A heavy dose of Bollywood glamour and performances will enthral fans at the 2015 edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) from Friday as it returns to Malaysia for a second time.

(ii) Held every year on a foreign location, the event will also organise FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum to promote trade and tourism between the two countries.

(iii) This year, the young brigade of Bollywood is registering its presence in full force be it the performances by Sonakshi Sinha, Shraddha Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra or the event’s hosts Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor.